Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonja Wendt.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
From Systems to Stories: My Journey to Authorship
Writing was not a hobby. It wasn’t something I ever intended to do. I was pulled into it by a sense of concern about the world our children are navigating—and honestly, by a calling so strong that I often felt I wasn’t even the one writing the words. For over 30 years, my career was in IT corporate America. My path to becoming an author started when I was laid off from IBM; they offered education to find new opportunities. Right around that same time, a tragic pre-teen suicide occurred in my local community, forcing me to see the crazy world our children are navigating today.
The Spark of Compassion
I started noticing how degrading our cultural messaging had become. For example, I remember and ad popped up in my work email about a wrinkle reduction cream that contrasted a “beautiful grandma” with an “ugly grandma”—the “ugly” one of course being the one who didn’t use the cream. I was appalled by calling someone ugly because they looked natural and by the way we emphasize superficial beauty. These messages hit all ages, young and old. They are feeding our children with a constant stream of social media pressure to be flawless, skinny, athletic, perfect.
I felt this need to fight back against that noise. That urgency became the prompt for my first book, Can Old Be Beautiful? which talks about beautiful things and old beautiful things like mountains and castles. This book and all my children’s book include discussion questions at the end, to encourage thinking and understanding of the message the story is telling.
Bridging the Generational Gap
I used IBM’s educational offer to take a remote children’s book writing and publishing classes out of New York. As I studied and collaborated with my instructor and other students, I reflected on how we need intergenerational empathy and the best way to get those messages across. I remembered when one of my nephews was five years old and misunderstood my father, his grandfather—a WWII prisoner of war who carried silent injuries and who happened to be wearing hearing aids at that time. My dad yelled at his little grandson for being too loud in the house. I could see my dad wincing in pain, not just in his ears but throughout his body as he was navigating down a stairway. It was difficult to see that interaction, not just the physical, but the emotional exchange. Children often look at the elderly or the disabled with confusion rather than understanding. They don’t know the history or the hidden and heavy pain. This prompted my book, What’s Wrong With Grandpa which takes place along a Colorado hiking trail.
To start bridging that gap firsthand, I began bringing groups of children into a local retirement community. We would read stories, share stories, do crafts, and have a snack together, creating a beautiful, shared space where several different generations could truly see and value each other. together.
Rooted in Nature: Cultivating a Theme
As I was addressing new topics I was hearing and being prompted to write about, I realized I needed a unifying theme to tie my books together. The inspiration ended up being right in my own backyard. My husband and I maintain a large vegetable garden, and, in addition, I have always been connected and had a love for nature. I could plainly see that planting a seed, nurturing it, and watching it grow is the ultimate metaphor for how we must tend to raising compassionate and caring children.
This realization became the foundation of my Cultivating Compassion in Children series. All my children’s books tie directly to nature or growing. To bring this metaphor to life for kids, I introduce Seymour and Serina Seed, the seeds of compassion who start and conclude each story. I began writing blogs exploring modern societal issues impacting kids, intergenerational dynamics, and compassion. Every week, I published a new entry, one series discussing a 12-step framework for growing a compassionate child, using planting and gardening comparisons. The response was positive, and that weekly blog series ultimately became the foundation for my parenting book—which went on to win first prize in a parenting category.
The Evolution from Reader to Storyteller
As I did this work in the community, my craft evolved. I joined a local storytelling group, as I was thinking of a new approach. I realized that telling a story from the heart can sometimes be infinitely more powerful than just reading it from a page. Letting go of the physical book allowed me to keep my eyes locked on the kids. It freed me to be more dramatic, fully engage their imaginations, and interact with them in real-time. Storytelling is powerful and truly a craft that takes time and practice. I loved and learned some much from this highly talented storytelling group.
Where I Am Today
I left over a 30-year career in IT, started something new with a some literary writing and publishing training, a love for nature, grassroots community action, a strong passion and internal drive or being driven, and turned it into a mission to build emotional bridges. My goal remains the same: teaching the next generation to look past the surface, root themselves in empathy, and choose compassion and understanding. I try to get my stories out mainly through selling my books at community and church craft shows or local visitor centers. I want to plant the seeds of compassion one story, one interaction, at a time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
On the creative side, the road has actually been relatively smooth. The words have flowed naturally, and the doors to write and publish opened when I needed them to. However, the business side of authorship has presented my greatest hurdle: marketing and navigating the loud, fast-paced world of social media.
As someone who writes from a place of deep calling rather than self-importance, the idea of “pushing” my books or self-promoting online feels uncomfortable to me. And I don’t want to add to the digital noise; I want to be an antidote to it.
To overcome this, I have had to completely shift my mindset. I constantly have to remind myself that marketing isn’t about self-promotion—it is about stewardship. The messages in these books—about intergenerational empathy, overcoming toxic societal pressures, and cultivating compassion—are too important not to share. I am not trying to sell a product; I am trying to share a lifeline.
Learning the ropes of marketing, social media and the constant changes with new tools remains an ongoing challenge, Framing it as a way to make a positive difference in the world, is what keeps me moving forward.
Other challenges include stepping out of my comfort zone and speaking in front of an audience about the mission of my book series. Gratefully, when I focus on my mission, my passion overcomes me and carries me through these events and they become fun and energizing.
Selling my books at community and church craft shows has smoothed some of these marketing bumps. The interaction with parents, grandparents, teachers and kids at these events is enriching and invaluable. I enjoy the real life interactions so much more than the online world.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an author, blogger, speaker, and storyteller specializing in intergenerational connection and cultivating compassion in children. Through my books and writing blogs, I create a unique bridge between generations, translating day to day societal challenges into grounded, nature-based narratives that are fun and understandable.
Although I love them, my books are not cutesy, whimsical fairy tales. Instead, they are real-life stories that draw on the natural world—using bugs, a sunflower, and genuine human interactions—to mirror the realities children face. My specialty is taking the heavy, often overwhelming pressures of our modern world and simplifying them into understandable truths of compassion.
What are you known for?
I am known for creating the Cultivating Compassion in Children series, introduced by Seymour and Serina Seed. Parents and educators appreciate my books for their unique dual purpose. I don’t just write stories; I teach Each book weaves together real-world science and nature facts – like the metamorphosis cycle of a caterpillar – alongside the emotional and social lessons of human connection like friendship, inclusion, and acceptance. By using the natural world as a living classroom, I help kids understand the tangible science of the earth while simultaneously opening their eyes to the deeper emotional truths of compassion.
I am also known for my active, hands-on storytelling. Rather than just reading from a page, I bring stories to life dynamically, engaging directly with children’s imaginations to help them feel and see the message, not just hear it.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my award-winning parenting book, which grew organically from a series of weekly blog posts mapping out a 12-step framework for growing a compassionate child. This book has a poem and darling drawings of kids in each step. Seeing those book come together, winning first prize over even childhood professional experts, was incredibly validating.
On a personal level, I am humbled to have been given this call and proud to have carried it through to fruition.. Moving from a structured, 30-year IT career in the telecom industry into a creative, heart-centered calling required a big leap of faith and trust.
What sets you apart from others?
If I had to point to what truly sets me apart, it is twofold:
First, I write about actual life situations that kids face, Kids are dealing with real anxiety, real confusion, and real societal pressures. By using the practical, tangible laws of nature—but still will with fun things like bugs and sunflowers, and how humans connect—I provide a platform for kids to talk about real-world situations how to navigate their emotions and relationships. My books also have questions at the end to help ensure the child understands the message of the book and to encourage communication and connection.
Second, I write stories with a purpose, blending an analytical background with an empathetic heart. When I wrote these books, I didn’t feel like the sole author of these words; I felt like a funnel for messages that needed to be heard. I combined this spiritual calling with my observations and knowledge. I wrote books with intention, not books to just entertain; books with a message of enhancing clarity and understanding allowing compassion to grow.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
If I had to narrow it down, the most critical characteristic is being completely genuine—being driven by a passion that is far bigger than I am. Because this work is a calling, motivation and energy comes more naturally. The enthusiasm I bring to my writing, blogging, and events is generated by the that fact that I am addressing reality, with an intention of making this world a better place through increased awareness and understanding.
When I am out in the community, I am not there to just sell books; I am there for connection which sparks enthusiasm and energy. When you are fertilized, using gardening terms, by a purpose that rises above your self, success becomes less about personal accomplishments and more about what someone else is gaining.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sonjawendt.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skwendt/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonjalangewendt
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonjawendt/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sonjawendt207
- Other: https://bit.ly/SonjaLangeWendt
